If you’re not used to it, cooking for Thanksgiving can be straight-up terrifying. And one of the most common holiday questions is: How do you even cook a turkey? Even if you follow the best recipes for roasting, frying and everything in between, some crucial steps and techniques for delivering a great turkey are left out. These are the kinds of things that can make or break your meal but are often only learned from experience.
We are going to save you the pain of learning the hard way.
Make Sure the Turkey Is Thoroughly Thawed
The first step to making sure you have a great holiday turkey actually starts several days before Thanksgiving itself. You need to properly and thoroughly thaw your turkey. This is especially important if you’re deep-frying your turkey (ice crystals plus hot oil equals bad news).
It’s recommended that you put your turkey in the fridge one day for every 4 pounds (not counting Thanksgiving Day or the day before if you’re brining your turkey). So put an 18-pound bird in your fridge on the Saturday before Thanksgiving at the latest.
To check that your turkey is fully thawed, remove the giblets and neck from the inside of your turkey and have a feel around the cavity. Any ice crystals? If no, you’re in luck. If yes, do a cold water thaw for 30 minutes at a time until the ice is gone and an instant-probe thermometer inserted into the breast of the turkey reads between 32 and 40 degrees. Make sure the turkey does not get above 40 degrees, lest you risk food poisoning. That means you shouldn’t let your turkey defrost on the counter or in a warm water bath.
